Witness Confirms Path of Suspect Vehicle in 2020 Teen Homicide

By McKenna Bryant [former] , Anthoine Godin [former] - February 29, 2024
Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

On Feb. 28, GPS data and surveillance footage were introduced in a 2020 homicide case before DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt’s courtroom 

Koran Jackson, 23, Tyiion Kyree Freeman, 24, and Stephen Nelson, 22, are three of five individuals charged with multiple counts of conspiracy, assault with the intent to kill while armed, first-degree murder while armed, carrying a pistol without a license, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence in connection to the fatal shooting of 13-year-old Malachi Lukes on March 1, 2020 on the 600 block of S Street, NW. The shooting also left a second juvenile victim located in the vicinity suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the right leg.  

The prosecution’s first witness in this proceeding monitors stolen vehicles for Getaround, a mobile car rental app.

The witness was able to verify GPS data collected from a reported stolen rental from Feb. 27 to March 1 vehicle allegedly involved in Lukes’ shooting.

The prosecution used GPS data provided by the witness to place the stolen car at a BP gas station, located on the 3400 block of Georgia Avenue, NW, approximately one hour before the shooting. In their opening, the prosecution mentioned that video surveillance would place the defendants at the same BP gas station. 

Using the same GPS data, the witness testified that the stolen vehicle’s GPS shows it driving through an alley on S Street, NW on the day and time of the shooting.

The final location the prosecution referenced, the 1800 block of Bruce Place, SE, was an address the vehicle visited on Feb. 28, Feb. 29, and March 1, which is alleged to belong to one of the defendants’ family members. 

In cross examination, Freeman’s defense attorney, Andrew Ain, asked how Getaround would know a vehicle was stolen. The witness stated that Getaround needs a third party to allege a theft, which can be app users or police. 

Ain followed up by asking, “Anyone could lie to you and tell you their car was stolen when it wasn’t and you’d have no way of knowing correct”?.

“Correct” the witness answered. 

Ain then asked the witness if it was possible to calculate the average speed of the vehicle given some of the data he had mapped out on S Street. The witness said that while it was possible, it was “not always an accurate way to measure speed”. 

Nevertheless, Ain had the witness calculate the average speed of the car and found that the longest the car could have stopped for was 19 seconds. 

Similarly, Brian McDaniel, Jackson’s defense attorney, asked the witness if he could tell if the car had stopped at all from the data of S Street. The witness responded that he could not. 

McDaniel asked the witness if because there were no records of the vehicle being rented on Feb. 27, had he ever found out how the vehicle was stolen. The witness claimed the only information he had was a lack of rental record on Feb. 27.  

In their redirect, prosecution addressed asked the witness which third party had alerted Getaround that the vehicle was stolen. The witness replied it was the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Prosecution then called a witness who used to reside in an apartment complex with security cameras located near the crime scene.

He explained that because the cameras installed were registered with DC’s camera rebate program, it was typical for an officer or detective to express interest in acquiring footage from the exterior cameras for investigative purposes.

The witness recalled being contacted by an officer on March 1, 2020, who was interested in footage within a 30 minute time frame, showing “four young Black males” walking in the area after Lukes’ shooting.  

Prosecution played the surveillance footage, which depicted four individuals walking down a sidewalk together.

The witness confirmed the footage was accurate.

Trial is set to resume March 4.